Monthly Archives: November 2016

Tuesday marked the United Nation’s International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People. From Yemen to Syria to Russia and Ukraine, there are struggles for power and domination taking place around the world. World powers and international organizations are stretched thin as they work to manage the political, economic and humanitarian effects of these situations.

Ta’u is an island located 4,000 miles from the west coast of the United States in the South Pacific Ocean. For a long time, Ta’ u has relied on diesel energy in order to power homes, government buildings and also, water pumps. It imported nearly 100,000 gallons of diesel from the main island of Tutuila,

From 21 – 24 November 2016, China hosted in Shanghai the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion. The conference, organized under the auspices of the Government of China and the World Health Organisation (WHO), was a landmark for strengthening global cooperation for public health. The Shanghai Declaration on Health Promotion stressed the importance of promoting

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this is typically a time where businesses are busy finishing year-end projects and securing new deals for the upcoming year. Families are busy with holiday plans filled with food and gifts. Air travel is at a peak as holiday breaks are long and people tend to migrate toward family

By the end of COP22 in Marrakech, 111 nations will have signed up to the Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP21), contributing to probably one of the most important commitments to date: fighting climate change and halting its long-term consequences. While the negotiations in Paris focused mainly on establishing targets and the main obligations that countries

Globalization is an incredible engine of exchange that triggers not only economic development and commerce but also inter-cultural networks. One of the most interesting aspects related to globalization – Sino-African relations – has garnered a great deal of public interest in recent decades. However, commentary tends to focus on trade, economic investment and aid

In an age of information, we are often challenged by many sources of information, and then counter-information, and then a counter to the counter as well. When one just wants to find some facts on an issue, it is often a challenge to uncover what the truest set of facts may be and that comes

Cuba has long represented one of the greatest examples of healthcare system in the world, largely through providing critical access to services to all segments of its population and by achieving outstanding results comparable to those of developed nations. Overall, Cuba represents an inspiring model of development for its neighboring countries and for the

Even if it is something difficult to imagine, human trafficking is still a reality in 2016. According to a 2014 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), some 70 per cent of victims in the global trafficking trade are women (49 per cent) and girls (21 per cent). Apart from

The Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP21) entered into force on Friday, 4 November, marking an historical moment for our generation towards the fight against climate change. All governments that ratified the agreement, including US, China, India and the EU, now have an obligation to keep global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above

For the first time in the history of the UN development mandate a specific urban goal has been inserted in the list of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a priority target to be achieved over the next 15 years. More specifically, the 11th Sustainable Development Goal refers to making ‘cities and human settlements

When looking at the heart of a map, the countries that comprise the Middle East and Western Asia, it is clear that civil war or external invasions have affected nearly half of them. Not only does the act of war have catastrophic consequences on the economic and political systems, but also the humanitarian consequences are

Currently, only one in three Africans has access to electricity, according to a new World Bank Report “Making Power Affordable for Africa and Viable for Its Utilities”. The report analyzes data from thirty-nine Sub-Saharan countries, underlining an overall lag in electricity generation capacity, per capita electricity consumption, and household access to electricity. Regarding access to